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Monday, December 20, 2010

If flooding impacted your property last week, you must to register with the province in order to receive compensation.

St. Stephen Town Manager John Ferguson tells CHSJ News displaced flood victims can also get help from the Red Cross.He says if you can stay with family or friends they provide up to $150 to the family you stay with, the displaced family with up to four members get $100 a week for up three weeks.

Ferguson adds after you register the information on your property with the Province, adjusters will visit to determine the health and safety issues and you get an estimate on repair cost. Residential home owners are entitled for up to $80,000 dollars should it be that severe.He says the disaster assistance plans cover structure, appliances and furniture but, it does not cover seasonal residences including boats and ATV's.To report damage and register for the plan: click here or call 1-888-298-8555.

The Saint John Parking Commission accepting the lowest bid tendered for the construction of the Carleton Street parking garage in a special meeting this morning.PCL Constructors Canada Inc.’s tender of more than $16 million was the lowest bid of nine qualified bids.

Commission Chair Chris Titus says the bids were in range of their projections and very competitive with each other. Construction on the garage is expected to start in late January or early February.The seven-level garage will have 446 spaces, with entrances and exits from Carleton Street and Sewell Street.

The people working in the flooding recovery effort are worn out after going flat out for a week straight.

Heavy rain in the forecast is disheartening for them and for the people whose homes are impacted.

Charlotte County EMO Co-Ordinator Darren McCabe tells CHSJ News they have informed the province if it gets bad again they will need more people or new people to help.McCabe says people are frustrated with the situtation at this time of year when they just want to be home.

The city's budget won't be ready until sometime in January. Ward 3 Common Councillor Donnie Snook already has some ideas on where he would like to see the budget cut.He says one way is to reduce city management would be to not fill two vacant deputy city manager positions. Snook says those jobs account for significant dollars. Snook also says Council will have to take a hard look at the police and fire budgets because of the salaries. He's even floating the idea of using volunteer firefighters in the outskirts of the city.

Cooke Aquaculture is playing Santa to house those displaced by the recent flooding in the Charlotte County area.

The company starting a Christmas Relief Program and spokesperson Chuck Brown tells CHSJ News they wanted to do something for the flood victims.

He says the company has started it off with a $50,000 donation and their employees can contribute through payroll deduction.

The Algonquin is also jumping on board by offering rooms to families on Christmas Eve.
To donate or if you know a family that could use some help, you can register them for the program by calling 755 1460.

The Province's EMO establishing a disaster financial assistance office in St. George.Staff members can assist the public with the claims process. It is located in the Family Worship Centre at 89 Mount Pleasant Road in St. George.It's open today from 1-5 pm and 8 am to 5 pm daily after today.

Residents affected by the storm surges on the 5th and 6th and the heavy rainfall of the 13th and 14th should report their damages through Service New Brunswick at 1-888-298-8555.

Buttons are being pressed to streamline the process of getting compensation to those homeowners and businesses that suffered losses because of last week's flooding.

Contact was made with Premier David Alward during the town hall meeting at Fundy High with Cooke Aquaculture and Jim Irving along with government M-L-A's on hand. The M-L-A for Charlotte and the Isles Rick Doucet tells CHSJ News there were lots of questions asked and frustrations voiced.

Doucet says those people in the St. George area who are looking for compensation should drop into the Family Worship Centre anytime after noon hour today and he's saying cheques could conceivably be issued as early as this week.

The city can't afford to pay one-third of the estimated 255 million dollar cost of providing safe, clean drinking water.

That admission from Finance Commissioner Greg Yeomans who argues the city can fofnly afford to contribute 10 percent and maintains the province and federal government will have to contribute more than two-thirds.

He points to the big increase in water rates next year and in 2012 of more than 19 per cent being caused by another less expensive project, the cleanup of the harbour.

Common Council is expected to approve tonight a 72 dollar increase in water rates next year with another 104 dollar rise coming in 2012. Flat rate customers will pay 936 dollars in 2011 and over a thousand dollars in 2012. Metered rates are also rising by 8.3 per cent next year and 11.1 per cent in 2012.

The town of Rothesay is being accused of welching out of a deal with the city to provide drinking water to K-Park because of complaints over the quality and boil water orders. Mayor Ivan Court tells CHSJ News the city is not amused.

Court goes on to say the water lines will come to a dead end and the city will be stuck with the additional cost of flushing them to overcome a lack of chlorine for the people who are in the city but live at the entrance to K-Park.

Rothesay Council, meantime, will be rolling out its budget for next year at a special meeting tomorrow night.

City Police investigating the death of a man whose car crashed into the side of a building on Douglas Avenue yesterday morning near the railroad tracks. They say he had just turned onto Douglas Avenue from Chesley Drive. His name has not been released.

The RCMP in Sussex are also investigating a fatality at Long Creek. The driver, a 20 year old Sussex area woman, went off the road and died.Her name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

By giving blood today, you will help boost the supply over the Holidays and lift the spirits of a sick 5-year-old.Today's clinic is in honour of Blake Matthews who is battling a brain tumour and using blood products as part of his treatment.

She says for people who are ill, the date on the calendar doesn't matter so, they won't to encourage people to donate blood this Holiday season.The C-B-S offices in Millidgeville will have a superheroes theme in honour of Blake's clinic today. It gets underway at 11 this morning and runs until 8 tonight.

To book an appointment, call 1-888-2-DONATE or drop by Canadian Blood Services at 405 University Avenue.